Monday, January 19, 2015

Belated New Year 2015

Now that we're nearly 3 weeks into the New Year, I can look back on 2014. My blog posts reveal a measly 8 posts which evidently relates to the measly mileage on the Tiger. I normally record and post my annual mileage, but for some reason I failed to do so last year. So much for New Year resolutions, maybe I made a record of it on Fuelly...  yep!

  56807 miles at the end of 2014
- 50325 miles at the end of 2013
    6482 miles traveled in 2014

Wow! Only 6482 miles ridden last year. So how does that compare to previous years?

Miles in 2011 = 10538
Miles in 2012 = 8653
Miles in 2013 = 7098
Miles in 2014 = 6482

That puts my 2015 mileage trend/goal at 5130 miles. This of course doesn't include miles that I put on the XT250 and the TW200, or the Team Oregon training bikes, my lift truck at work, the 26+ miles on my mountain bike or the many miles of trails logged in my hiking boots.

Speaking of logged, in anticipation of Spring, we went out scouting out some local BLM roads to ride when the weather dries out. It got us out and plotting potential hikes, camping spots, mountain bike trails and I enjoyed a bit of "Subaruing" while my trusty navigator read maps and told me where to go.




















We made mental notes of landmarks and turns so we're not always stopping on the bikes and dismounting to consult the maps at every turn and intersection. I've been mapping a couple of routes from Corvallis to Cape Perpetua so off we went.





We didn't anticipate the debris on the road from the previous night's windstorm so we had to stop a couple of times to clear the road.





Unfortunately, one branch I ran over kicked back and dented the driver's door.


Suba-bruised
Posting so I remember 6 months from now where the dent came from.





















We didn't get a photo of the log we both got out to move, but it took the two of us to move it. I think I may need to put together a kit containing gloves, a tow strap, and maybe a pocket chainsaw.



However, even with a decent kit we still wouldn't have made it through this bad boy.




We're going to need a BIG chainsaw for this one!












Brandy did find a way around, had we been on our bikes.























"Log blocked" only 4 miles from our destination, forcing us to back track 15 miles.  











We turned around, headed back to the main road and managed to find Yachats River Covered Bridge for a photo before driving over to Yachats and Highway 101.



Then it was north to Newport for a Starbucks Chai Tea and try to make it home before dark.





Happy New Year everyone!

~ The three great elemental sounds in nature are the sound of rain, the sound of wind in a primeval wood, and the sound of outer ocean on a beach.








15 comments:

  1. That's only a bit less than I put on the bikes. Too much local riding and commuting I guess. Do you have a hand-held GPS for trail riding (bikes or bicycles)? I had picked up a Garmin 60CSx years ago and it's easy to download trail routes onto it. Plus, it's waterproof and the 2xAA batteries last for a couple of full days.

    Nice photos, too bad about the ding.

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    1. I plan to log more 'quality miles' this year since I'm not commuting on the bike as often. I'll have to look into a handheld GPS, it'd be cool to track my bikes and hikes.

      The ding is fine, at least it was me that did it and not a shopping cart.

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  2. Ouch on the Subaru - Happy New Year.

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    1. Happy New Year m'Lady. Yea, the first dent hurts, but at least it was fun and comes with a story.

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  3. Slacking off on the mileage eh? You should count the stuff you do on the training ranges! ;)

    Pocket chainsaw? Now I have to google it....

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    1. The mileage on the training range is quite small for it is the students that get the ride time, although we do get to ride a demo or two.

      Gotta have a pocket chainsaw, if for no other reason than to have one.

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  4. It's not the mileage, it's what you do with it... racking up mileage by commuting isn't fun, especially when having to do slab time in the dark. Happy New Year, Brad! Make the most of it.

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    1. Thanks Sonja, I have discovered that it is the quality of miles, not the quantity.

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  5. 6482 miles would be an awesome year of riding for me, but then your riding season is a bit longer than mine. Anyway, as Sonja says, it's not the mileage but what you do with it. Happy belated New Year back at you.

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    1. Thanks David, I plan to do more dual sport riding this year so the smiles will out number the miles.

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  6. Yeah, that one's not gonna move! :)
    I love a day spent exploring the backroads. Our few times driving around that area always left us good and lost, and never on the road we planned to travel.
    Sorry that the Subaru got a boo-boo, but it does add character.
    I don't even want to look at my mileage. It's probably only in the double digits - sad!

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    1. I enjoy getting out to the woods, it is nice in the car because it is warm, dry, we can chat and take photos; not as easy on the bikes. We had two maps and a Garmin GPS to point our way, another option would be to get lost then use the GPS (like riding horses) to lead us home.
      I'm not overly concerned with the bruise, I just had to post it somewhere so I remember six to eight months from now where it came from. I'm also not concerned with the number of miles, which is probably why I didn't record it last year, but it does remind me that I have other activities in my life too.

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  7. Nice exploring....and for a very good cause! Nothing wrong with your trend in mileage Brad; you're staying busy, the schedule full.

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    1. Thanks, I consider it a measure and balance of the other important things in my life.

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  8. That's a big tree! Backtracking sucks.

    I haven't logged many motorcycle miles the past couple of years either, but I've done other stuff. It's hard not to get a bit down when you think of how many miles you could have ridden, but who is to say you would have enjoyed that more? That's what I tell myself anyway.

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